Author: Gwangi

My name is Arthur but I go by Gwangi on the blogs and forums, as homage to the old dinosaur and monster movies I love so much. In addition to writing about and collecting toy animals (extinct and extant) I also share my home with a variety of living animals, mostly reptiles but a little bit of everything. I have a lifelong interest in all things nature and natural history and most of my hobbies can be linked to those things in some way. I currently live in Maryland with my wife and daughters. In addition to writing on here I also write magazine articles, typically about local wildlife and aquarium fishes.

All reviews by this author

Review: Pteranodon (Jurassic Park Series 1 by Kenner)

2.6 (8 votes)

Shrieking out of the sky and swooping in from 1993 comes the “Jurassic Park” series 1 Pteranodon. Although Cearadactylus was featured in the book “Jurassic Park” the original movie didn’t feature pterosaurs at all.

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Review: Pachycephalosaurus (The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Series 1 by Kenner)

Genus: Pachycephalosaurus Brand: Jurassic Park, Kenner Classification: Pachycephalosaur Age: Cretaceous Type: Action Figure

3.6 (8 votes)

Two Pachycephalosaurus toys would be released in conjunction with “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” the monstrously large adult “Ram Head” and this one, marketed as a juvenile. Seeing as how the genus features prominently in the movie it makes sense that it would feature in the toy line as well but in the case of the juvenile we’re looking at today it may seem somewhat familiar.

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Review: Pachycephalosaurus (UKRD)

Genus: Pachycephalosaurus Brand: UKRD Classification: Pachycephalosaur Age: Cretaceous Type: Figurine

3 (3 votes)

Fans of the dome headed pachycephalosaurs are hard pressed to find toys representing this group with one exception, Pachycephalosaurus itself. While not as popular as the likes of Tyrannosaurus or Triceratops this genus is unique enough to have been reproduced in plastic many times over, even by substandard companies like UKRD.

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Review: Brachiosaurus (1996, Wild Safari by Safari Ltd.)

Genus: Brachiosaurus, Giraffatitan Brand: Wild Safari Classification: Macronaria (basal), Sauropod Age: Jurassic Type: Figurine

4.2 (6 votes)

With an excellent catalog of accurate, high quality collectibles it’s hard to believe that the Wild Safari line by Safari Ltd. once produced a range of models that were often poorly sculpted and garishly painted. And if one were to forget about the past, the old Safari Suchomimus would surely jog some memories.

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Review: Brachiosaurus (UKRD)

Genus: Brachiosaurus Brand: UKRD Classification: Macronaria (basal), Sauropod Age: Jurassic Type: Figurine

2 (3 votes)

There is only a certain set of collectors that will probably recognize the name UKRD. In quality they ranked well below the museum quality models produced during their time. There was, however, a wide assortment of them, in a range of sizes, and a lot of kids in the early 90s had them.

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Review: Triceratops (Tomy)

Genus: Triceratops Brand: Takara Tomy Classification: Ceratopsian, Chasmosaur Age: Cretaceous Type: Figurine

2.3 (3 votes)

Several years ago, while trying to bulk out my collection, I came across this toy Triceratops in a big box of dinosaurs I bought off of eBay. Although it is clearly a Cheaposaur I found it unique enough to hang on to and investigate further.

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Review: Stegosaurus (AAA)

Genus: Stegosaurus Brand: AAA Classification: Stegosaur, Thyreophoran Age: Jurassic Type: Figurine

3.1 (7 votes)

Charging out of a 1950’s B-rate dinosaur movie comes the AAA Stegosaurus, a truly retro toy from a bygone era. You can all breathe a sigh of relief, this will be my last review of these little AAA toys. The punishment is almost over.

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Review: Triceratops (AAA)

Genus: Triceratops Brand: AAA Classification: Ceratopsian, Chasmosaur Age: Cretaceous Type: Figurine

3 (7 votes)

While most of the toys produced by AAA could be regarded as mid-way between quality museum models and cheaply produced “Chinasaurs” there are quite a few that tread into that cheap Chinasaur territory. AAA toys span several years and I don’t know when production first began but some of the toys certainly seem a good deal older than some of their later products.

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Review: Ankylosaurus (AAA)

Genus: Ankylosaurus Brand: AAA Classification: Ankylosaur, Ankylosaurid, Thyreophoran Age: Cretaceous Type: Figurine

2.5 (10 votes)

Every dinosaur obsessed child of the 80’s and 90’s no doubt had a few AAA toy dinosaurs in their collection. Although poorly represented on the DTB the toy company AAA produced a large assortment of dinosaur and other animal toys but the quality on them was always a little hit or miss.

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Review: Eurypterid (Eurypterus remipes) (Paleozoic Pals)

Genus: Eurypterus Brand: Paleozoic Pals Classification: Invertebrate Age: Silurian Type: Plush

5 (6 votes)

Eurypterids, popularly known as “sea scorpions” are among the more charismatic of extinct invertebrates, and rightly so. Although they weren’t true scorpions these aquatic arthropods were an extremely successful group of predators that dominated both fresh and saltwater environments between 470–252 million years ago.

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Review: Trilobite (Greenops boothi) (Paleo Pals)

Genus: Greenops Brand: Paleo Pals Classification: Invertebrate, Trilobite Age: Devonian Type: Plush

4.5 (4 votes)

As a dinosaur lover growing up in New York State I often dreamed of digging up a dinosaur in my own back yard, and what child didn’t? I had always hoped that I might uncover a Tyrannosaurus skull, a new species, or at least a tooth!

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Review: Torvosaurus (Deluxe Prehistoric Collection by CollectA)

Genus: Torvosaurus Brand: CollectA Classification: Megalosaur, Theropod Age: Jurassic Type: Figurine

4.5 (17 votes)

While Allosaurus has been a long time favorite among Jurassic theropods there has been a growing fan base for the large megalosaurid genus, Torvosaurus. The genus has now become popular enough that whenever wish list discussions about what toy makers should release next come up it’s always mentioned.

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